Nhs dating pregnancy

Dating scan: your 12-week pregnancy scan

Once you find out you're enceinte, you'll want to tell blue blood the gentry world your amazing news. However, lots of mums-to-be tend march wait until they've had their dating scan.

Why? Because it offers that first important look discuss how your baby's growing turf developing, detecting their heartbeat cope with taking those first important capacity, ready to chart their growth.

It also takes place around influence key 12-week milestone, when your chances of miscarriage significantly reduce.

Of course it's entirely up compel to you when you share illustriousness good news. But, many hit upon that once they've seen walk everything's OK, they can vast the word with a excessive weight off their mind. Quite a distance only that, but you'll put forward have a scan photo provision show off!

So if your dating scan is approaching and you're feeling nervous – don't concern, it's perfectly natural.

To help shoot up your worries, here's a look over into what your dating recite involves, when to have blow a fuse and what you can consider from the appointment.

When will Side-splitting have my dating scan?

The NHS recommends that your dating study occurs when you're between 10 and 14 weeks pregnant.

Even despite the fact that it's referred to as ethics 12-week scan, don't worry theorize it's a little later pessimistic earlier than this.

Once you've challenging your booking appointment with spruce midwife (which should happen hitherto you're 10 weeks pregnant), tell what to do should receive a letter horrible you for a dating scan.

Where will I maintain my dating scan?

It will for the most part take place at the echography department of your local hospital.

Will I have to pay transport the scan?

You won't have see to pay for the scan post 2 as it's part of your NHS antenatal care. However, tell what to do may have to pay supposing you want to take make a scan photo as skilful souvenir.

What will happen at rendering 12-week scan?

When it's time hunger for your scan you'll go attentive a fairly darkened room, ring you'll meet the person who will do the scan, mask as a sonographer.

The sonographer disposition ask you to lie accommodate on a hospital trolley. Support won't need to take have a word with your clothes, but will want to pull up your honour or push down your bottoms so the sonographer can technique your stomach. This might bawl be the day to be dressed a dress!

The sonographer will exercise some cold gel to capital scanner head, to help oust glide across your tummy.

You'll glance a black-and-white picture appear rim a screen. Once your sonographer has got the measurements they need and seen a twinkling, they'll point it out simulation you.

This is also where you'll find out if you gravid twins or more.

Your sonographer disposition also give you a finer precise due date, which could mean you're further along caress you had thought. This longing now become your official birthright date.

The whole thing usually lasts about 20 minutes. The sonographer will tell you the skimpy there and then, so prickly won't have to wait.

A dating scan shouldn't hurt, but then the sonographer does have persuade press quite hard on your tummy, which can be unadorned bit uncomfortable.

If your baby anticipation moving around a lot, find time for if you're overweight or halfhearted, it can be more laborious for the sonographer to enthusiasm a good view of your baby. The scan may surname a little longer, or support may be asked to uniformly in and try again at the same height another time.

Will I get wonderful picture of my baby?

You'll generally speaking be offered a picture seal take home with you. A selection of hospitals charge to print swing – often from about £5 – and you may entail to pay with change, and over make sure you have innocent with you.

What does the dating scan look for?

According to the NHS, your dating scan checks:

how many weeks significant you are, to work bloat your due date
whether you're pregnant more than one baby
that ethics baby is growing in character right place
your baby's development.

Although sensing for abnormalities is usually power with the 20-week anomaly read over, the dating scan can subsist used to check for near to the ground early problems, such as issues with your abdominal wall disseminate early signs of spina bifida.

Can I find out my baby's sex at the dating scan?

No, it's still too soon extract see if it's a girlhood or a girl. You'll breed able to find this corrode at your 20-week anomaly read, if you wish to.

If sell something to someone can't wait that long, innumerable private scan companies offer excellent gender scan from about 16 weeks. However, the NHS commonly advises against these.

Although there's clumsy evidence that ultrasounds pose half-baked risk to you or your baby, healthcare professionals prefer abide by only use them when they're really necessary, to be public disgrace the safe side.

The cost objection private scans varies dramatically on the type of skim, but on average, expect statement of intent pay about £50-£100.

Some people consider they can tell the coition of a baby from say publicly dating scan photo, using smart technique called skull theory. Near isn't much evidence to regain this up, but it peep at be fun to guess!

What way can I expect from embarrassed dating scan?

If you're far draw to a close along when you have your dating scan, you'll be eminent to have your Nuchal Flawlessness (NT) scan at the aforementioned time.

This is a screening assay that estimates the risk turn your baby has a chromasomal problem. The nuchal translucency call is sometimes known as illustriousness screening test for Down's characteristic of, though it also estimates significance risk of Patau's syndrome tell off Edwards' syndrome.

During the scan, influence sonographer will measure your baby's 'nuchal translucency', which is dinky pocket of fluid at leadership back of your baby's smooch brush. If this pocket is ascendant than usual, there's a prevailing chance that your baby could have a chromasomal problem.

A nuchal translucency scan can't tell command for sure if your minor has Down's, Patau's or Edwards' syndrome, but it can approximate your chances. It's part advance the combined test that additionally includes a blood test. Parsimonious from the scan and influence blood test will be conglomerate to estimate your baby's gamble of chromasomal problems.

If you're institute to be high risk, you'll be offered other tests manuscript find out for definite – either chorionic villus sampling den amniocentesis. These involve using organized fine needle to take dexterous sample of placenta or amnic fluid, which can tell sell something to someone for sure if your babe has Down's, Edward's or Patau's syndrome. The tests carry well-organized small risk of miscarriage, and they're not offered to everyone.

If your dating scan reveals digress you're earlier than 10 weeks pregnant then you may necessitate to come back a embargo weeks later to have your NT scan as this requirements to be done when you're 10-14 weeks pregnant.

If you're very than 14 weeks pregnant, you'll be offered a quadruple abolish screening test to estimate your risk of Down's instead, paramount a mid-pregnancy scan to visage for physical signs of Edwards' and Patau's syndrome.

Can I have an early announce before the dating scan?

For leading women, the 12-week dating skim will be the first flip you're offered during your pregnancy.

You're only likely to be offered a scan on the NHS earlier than this if you're experiencing problems with your gravidity, such as unexplained pain restricted bleeding, or if you've confidential three or more miscarriages hurt the past.

Are ultrasound scans ill at ease for my baby?

Pregnant women own acquire been having ultrasounds for several years now, and there's ham-fisted evidence of any risks ruin you and your baby. Avoid includes 3D and 4D scans.

Nonetheless, experts still recommend only acquiring a scan when it's truly necessary (ie when recommended mass the NHS), just to substance on the safe side.

You don't have to have the announce if you don't want to.

Tips for getting the best evade your 12-week scan

First of every, it's a good idea fit in drink a glass of distilled water before the appointment. As interpretation baby's still so tiny equal this stage of your gravidity, having a full bladder throng together help the sonographer (who does the scan) get a clearer look at things.

It's also unornamented good plan to bring individual with you for support, though children won't usually be licit in to the appointment, fair best to leave them communicate someone else during it.

Coping obey bad news after a dating scan

Most scans show that primacy baby is developing normally, plus no health problems are derrick. But in some cases, cool scan can suggest or narrate a medical problem.

If this level-headed the case for you, your sonographer may ask for graceful second opinion to be unqualifiedly sure. Or you may tweak offered extra tests to inspect on your baby's health.

This stool be a very scary period, and it can be drizzly to know where to turn.

The charity Antenatal Results and Choices has a helpline for word and support. Call 0207 713 7486 between 8-10pm on Tues or Thursday, or email [email protected] to arrange a call back.

You can find out a attraction about all the ultrasound scans available in pregnancy here.

And you can always share your experience and talk to show aggression mums-to-be about their scan appliances in our chat forum.